Advisor Vijay Kumar reviews functioning of JKSFC

SRINAGAR, JULY 16: Advisor to Governor, K Vijay Kumar today asked the J&K State Forest Corporation to adopt IT enabled services to bring more transparency in the working of the corporation besides engaging required machinery to further slash down the cost of timber extraction. He also stressed for community involvement that would help in developing and conservation of the forests in the state.
The Advisor while reviewing the functioning of the J&K State Forest Corporation said that with the effective internal and external vigilance, the Corporation can be strengthened and more transparent services needs to be introduced for achieving the desired results.
Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Saurabh Bhagat, MD JKSFC Suresh Chugh, Director Finance Forests and other senior officers of JKSFC and Forests Department attended the meeting.
Reviewing the performance of the corporation, the Advisor was enquired about the details of timber extraction done by the Corporation in the recent years and the revenue realized by selling the timber to the consumers. It was informed that during 2016-17, 27.09 lakh cft of timber was sold through auction and 41.62 lakh cft was sold in the current year till now.
The meeting was informed that the steep increase in the inflow of imported timber has reached to 61.47 lakh cft in 2017-18 in the market which has serious impact on the overall sale of timber by SFC.
MD JKSFC Suresh Chugh while apprising the meeting about the mode of sale of timber by the corporation informed the Advisor that the sale is made to the consumers through open auction, fair price depots in Municipal areas of Srinagar & Jammu, fair price depots in Ladakh and by concessional timber sale depots.
After having deliberate discussions on the no of depots in the state and the rates on which the timber is being sold to the consumers on concessional rates, the Advisor asked for rationalization of timber rates and to come up with a report on it within a weeks’ time.
Informing the Advisor about the financial performance of the corporation, it was told that in the year 2016-17, JKSFC has realized the revenue to the tune of Rs 13.98 crore and Rs 19.14 crore in 2017-18 against the sale of 27.09 and 41.62 lakh cft of timber in the state.
The meeting was apprised of various elements of timber extraction followed by transportation. In order to achieve better results and bring down the extraction cost, the Advisor suggested for using required machinery for extraction and transportation purpose. To have a check on pilferage, he asked for using IT enables services with the help of some reputed IT consultants including using GPS tracking devices.

Srinagar, Jan 21: Paying rich tributes to the “martyrs” of Gawkadal massacre on their 28th anniversary, AIP President Er Rasheed said that Delhi and its institutions have failed to kill, humiliate and deny justice to Kashmiris has become the permanent interpretation of “nationalism and patriotism”.

In a statement issued here, Rasheed said that national media, politicians and a section of “pseudo-intellectuals with a communal mindset” have been often calling few unfortunate killings of Kashmiri Pandits at the hands of unknown persons as “genocide” but don’t speak even a word on Gawkadal massacre and other worst massacres which took place in every area of Kashmir at the hands of men in uniform.

The huge sacrifices offered by Kashmiris deserve a response within India and at the international level. The state has used its institutions and huge propaganda machinery to mislead the world community and create confusions about what Kashmiris stand for. The Gawkadal massacre reminds Delhi and the world community that after 29 years, the will, commitment and desire to get Jammu & Kashmir dispute resolved in accordance with UN resolutions have not only deepened but India is finding it difficult day by day to prove its narrative, Rasheed said.

Rasheed added that Kashmiris are not worried about the behaviour of New Delhi and are mature enough to understand that the colonial mind. However, the truth lies on the side of Kashmiris and they cannot compromise on their stand or surrender before the New Delhi.

NHM employees stage protest, demand regularisation

Srinagar, Jan 21: Employees of National Health Mission (NHM) on Monday staged a protest rally in Bandipora district of north Kashmir, demanding regularisation of their services.

Scores of the employees while shouting anti-governmental slogans held a protest rally from Hospital to mini secretariat Bandipora where they provided a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

The protesting employees said that most of employees working in the department have passed half of the age but were not regularised till date. “Govt must take any action to regularise us now,” one of the protesting employee said.

According to the protesting employees, the government had promised them social security benefits but till date, there were no initiatives taken by the government in this regard.

The protesting employees said that government is violating the guidelines of Supreme Court by not paying the equal pay for equal work, adding that people with the same profession in Delhi and Haryana are being benefited fully but their counterparts in valley are not.

The protesters threatened of more protests if their demands are not fulfilled.

Anantnag’s Kothar residents protest to demand degree college

Srinagar, Jan 21: Scores of residents from Nowgam Kothar village of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday staged a protest to express their dismay over government’s indifference and demanded for the establishment of Women’s Degree College in the area.

The residents including the senior citizens of the area assembled here at press enclave in Srinagar and raised slogans in favour of their demand.

The proposed college was first promised to the Shangus constituency but was later given to Chattisinghpora.

We were sure that the government would announce the college for their area said the protestors.

“In September 2018, when governor administration announced 40 colleges, we started the process. We completed all the formalities and were sure that college would be allotted,” said a protestor Mushtaq Ahamd.

“Our girls are forced to seek admission far from the home, either in colleges at Anantnag or in Srinagar. It is very hectic for them to travel long distances to reach to their colleges. It is not only expensive, but time consuming as well,” another protestor Bashir Ahmad said.

The protestors said that they would launch a full-fledged agitation to ensure that the government sanctions college in their favour.

“We would hit streets regularly to lodge our protest. We urge authorities to allot the college at an earliest or else be prepared for the consequences,” warned Bashir Mir.

“Any law and order problem arising out of our protests would directly be the responsibility of the government if it does not address our genuine concern immediately,” Mir added.

“We did everything that was required as far as official formalities are concerned. We met Advisor to the Governor, Khurshid Ganie. Later on we even sent the documents to the governor. We fail to understand as to why the authorities have not allotted the college. All the assurances provided to us proved futile,” the protesting residents said.

The Nowgam Kothar area comprises of 1041 households with no degree college. As per the locals, the said area has all the feasibilities required for the establishment of a college including land. “The college was not still allotted to us rather was given to a less feasible area,” the aggrieved protesters said.

Protestors appealed Governor Satya Pal Malik to look into the matter and fulfil their demand at an earliest.

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